A Lolita fashion enthusiast living in Perth, Australia.
Coordinating and print ideas and hopefully a few adventures.

Monday, 7 September 2015

Ditching the Dream Dress - Why my wishlist has changed

One of the first things you do when you become interested in lolita fashion is begin collecting an impressive list of items that you really (really, really) want. The "must-have" items are often dubbed "dream-dresses" with other simply desirable purchases placed on a what is often called a "wishlist". I started purchasing lolita clothing in 2012 and created a long list myself. In the year or two following I even managed to acquire some of those pieces. The feeling of excitement and pure rush of getting an item you've admired for so long is so great, isn't it?

Here is a line-up of some of the items I really wanted back when I began wearing lolita fashion.

The puffy tail and ears on the Marshmallow Bunny Sallopette was love at first sight!
Top down on the right: Rose Toilette, Sugar Fairy Cake and Country of Sweets all by Angelic Pretty.

But what happens when the dresses that you've brooded over to finally buy become back-of-the-closet clothes? Or perhaps the style you loved is just not what you want to wear anymore.

Well, I started to feel this way at the end of last year and after deciding to sell the last of the dresses on my wish list that I had acquired, I decided that I wanted to share some of the reasons why I moved on from those pieces. Perhaps you've felt the same way or maybe it's for a completely different reason. Comment and let me know!

1. Square pegs in round holes

Sometimes that beautiful piece you love to bits just doesn't look as nice as you imagined it when you finally get to wear it. As hard as it is, you've just got to let it go. In my case, it was the colours and the patterns that I had to part with. The light colours and chaotic prints of the super sweet designs that I loved looked heavy against my dark features.

I loved the colour and print design of Angelic Pretty's Sugar Hearts.

2. Size does matter

Squeezing yourself into something too small or having to pin, tie or hold up something too big is a real confidence killer. Checking the measurements for your beloved item is one way to avoid disappointment, which is the point I ignored not once but three times!

This Bodyline JSK L481 (affectionately known as Cinderella Bunny) was an impulse buy at a swap meet.
In the end, I had to pass it on because it was even too big with all the shirring tied up.

3. All dressed up and nowhere to go

"What's the point in having a beautiful dress if I don't have anywhere to wear it." I know that many people would sympathise with that statement. That really was the case with my beautiful Milky Planet. As much as I loved it, it was too casual for a tea party and too gorgeous just to go for a bubble tea in town. I simply realised one day that I wouldn't be wearing it many more times so I made the decision to pass it on.

This is still one of my favourite outfits that I've put together.

I bought the Milky Planet accessories from the new release in a different colour to create contrast.

4. Petticoat Junction

As time goes on the things we like change but it can be hard to accept that you and your formerly favourite print just simply don't share anything in common anymore. When I started wearing lolita fashion I wanted to be decked out in stars, candy and the brightest colours so as to be seen from space but at some point that changed and I wanted to veer towards a more cohesive wardrobe and colour pallet.

After buying two cut-sews in Japan I have sworn them off forever. The size is often too small.
Same goes for mini-skirts...and socks.
This Dream Sky skirt is the culmination of all the above points: the light colour and busy print, the small size and the personal change in taste over time meant I had to pass this gorgeous piece along.

Why it's okay

I took me a while to comes to terms with being able to sell items that I had really wanted for a long time. "Is it okay?" "Should I even make a wishlist?" However, after a while I realised that personal tastes changing as time goes on is something that is very natural. It really cemented the fact that, for me, purchasing a "dream dress" for a price much higher than retail will often lead to disappointment. Additionally, being able to self-evaluate your appearance and judge what looks good on you or what you are likely to wear is a very important skill when you wear any kind of fashion. You might have some great friends whom you can ask opinions of and that's important too but in the end the person choosing and wearing the clothes is you.

As for my wishlist, I am still adding pieces to it that I really like and some of the pieces I had on there before I've been able to retain and simply change what cut or colour way I would buy. When all is said and done, I still have a long list of dresses that I would love to own one day but I'm going to purchase them if I feel they are right for the wardrobe I'm working towards while keeping a wider perspective that my tastes may still change in the future.

How about you? How have your tastes changed? What are some of the pieces you've had to let go of? Let me know.

Alice and the Pirates' Gloria - Beautiful Glassy Saint Mary is pretty much a pipe-dream dress.I really love Angelic Pretty's Wonder Party bustier-style JSK but if I chose the skirt I can tone it down a little more.I had the pink version of Angelic Pretty's Royal Chocolate Round JSK on my wishlist but the white or beige will tie in with my current wardrobe colours better.